Soccer | Crew: Hector Jimenez eager to see game action

Thursday

Aug 21, 2014 at 12:01 AMAug 21, 2014 at 8:58 AM

Gregg Berhalter's final season as a player in 2011 did not start as he had envisioned. As a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Berhalter, 37 at the time, suffered a knee injury during the preseason that kept him out until mid-June, and his 10 games played were the fewest in his three seasons in Major League Soccer.

Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

Gregg Berhalter’s final season as a player in 2011 did not start as he had envisioned. As a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Berhalter, 37 at the time, suffered a knee injury during the preseason that kept him out until mid-June, and his 10 games played were the fewest in his three seasons in Major League Soccer.

So as the Crew’s Hector Jimenez began to work his way back onto the field a few weeks ago after having suffered the same injury — a strained medial collateral ligament — Berhalter offered advice.

“It’s going to be uncomfortable,” Berhalter said. “You’re going to feel the pinch, but get through it. The stability will come back. Especially with the MCL, striking the ball with the inside of your foot, you’re going to feel it sometimes, and you have to get over that hurdle that it’s not going to reinjure, it’s just going to be painful.”

It’s a lesson Jimenez has taken to heart, and more than six weeks after suffering the injury, he is set to rejoin the Crew this weekend. Although he’s unlikely to start as he continues to rebuild his fitness, Jimenez is ready to get back on the field.

“It feels great,” Jimenez said. “I would have loved to be on the field last week, but I couldn’t . My fitness levels were a little down, but I felt good these last couple of days. Maybe I can hop in the 18 this week and contribute some minutes.”

Jimenez spent the first two weeks on crutches and slowly progressed to being able to run and move laterally. Berhalter has been seen personally assisting Jimenez in some of his rehabilitation drills, and vice captain Wil Trapp said Jimenez’s determination to get back onto the field has been impressive.

“He’s been very diligent,” said Trapp, who was hampered by a knee injury for five weeks earlier this year. “He’s hungry, and he’s hungrier now than he’s ever been, and that’s been shown already with him working hard in training and getting his fitness and stamina back.”

The question now is where he will play. Twelve of his 15 appearances have been on the right side of the midfield, a position where Ethan Finlay has blossomed. Two of Finlay’s six goals and three of his four assists this year have come since Jimenez’s knee injury.

Berhalter has said it would be hard to displace Finlay given his recent form, but did not discount the possibility. Although Eric Gehrig has performed well at right back in the past two games, Jimenez seems most likely to see some time there, where he has made two starts.

“I think he’s been fantastic” there, Trapp said. “He’s such a versatile player. He can attack, he can defend, and his passing is great as well. In the system that we play, with the outside backs getting forward, he’s pretty lethal.”

It’s why Jimenez has seen so many minutes this season. After being acquired from the Galaxy during the offseason, Jimenez won a spot in the starting lineup and has already played more in his 15 starts (1,214 minutes) than he did in any of his three seasons in Los Angeles.

And if Jimenez has been frustrated by missing so much time, Trapp said it has not shown.

“He’s pretty quiet,” he said. “Obviously, there’s been a little frustration here and there, passes and stuff — which is normal. I know that fire is definitely in him right now. He’s excited to be back.”

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy

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